Isla vs Jessica
Isla and Jessicacompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Isla was ranked #2 and Jessica #48 among girls in Scotland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2019, Isla was ranked #3 and Jessica #85 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Isla was ranked #4 and Jessica #95 among girls in England and Wales.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2017, Isla was ranked #6 and Jessica #96 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Isla was ranked #8 and Jessica #127 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Isla was ranked #13 and Jessica #141 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Isla and Jessica over time
Isla and Jessica appear together in 6 published lists, across 141 years of shared records. Isla held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Jessica in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 5 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Jessica reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Isla in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2013, Isla moved ahead of Jessica in England and Wales · Girls — #8 and #3 the year before became #5 and #6.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 24 shared years in Scotland · Girls, Isla and Jessica averaged 46.0 places apart, ending at #2 and #48.
- Mirrored each other
Over 24 shared years in Republic of Ireland · Girls, Isla rose about as far as Jessica fell — from #467 and #88 in 1979 to #13 and #141 in 2025.
- Longest-running competitions
Isla and Jessica were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 46 years, from 1996 to 2024, ending at #4 and #95.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Scotland · Girls within 2 years — Isla #2 in 2024, Jessica #48 in 2024.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls46 shared years, 1996–2024
Isla held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Jessica in 17.
Highest recorded here: Isla #3 in 2014, Jessica #1 in 2005.
The order changed in 2013: Isla moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #8 and #3; by 2013 that had become #5 and #6.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Isla #4, Jessica #95.
Republic of Ireland · Girls24 shared years, 1979–2025
Isla held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Jessica in 16.
Highest recorded here: Isla #11 in 2023, Jessica #17 in 2002.
The order changed in 2018: Isla moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #40 and #38; by 2018 that had become #37 and #41.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Isla #13, Jessica #141.
Scotland · Girls24 shared years, 2024–2024
Isla held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Jessica in 0.
Highest recorded here: Isla #2 in 2024, Jessica #48 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Isla #2, Jessica #48.
Northern Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 2004–2024
Isla held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Jessica in 11.
Highest recorded here: Isla #1 in 2023, Jessica #4 in 2008.
The order changed in 2016: Isla moved ahead. In 2015 they stood at #15 and #11; by 2016 that had become #12 and #14.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Isla #8, Jessica #127.
New Zealand · Girls16 shared years, 2004–2019
Isla held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Jessica in 7.
Highest recorded here: Isla #2 in 2018, Jessica #5 in 2005.
The order changed in 2011: Isla moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #21 and #17; by 2011 that had become #13 and #22.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Isla #3, Jessica #85.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls10 shared years, 2008–2017
Isla held the stronger position in 6 of those years, Jessica in 4.
Highest recorded here: Isla #6 in 2017, Jessica #15 in 2009.
The order changed in 2012: Isla moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #22 and #20; by 2012 that had become #21 and #24.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Isla #6, Jessica #96.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Isla | Jessica |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A Scottish place name; not generally treated as having a separate lexical 'meaning' beyond the river/place it names. | Coined by William Shakespeare for his 1596 play The Merchant of Venice, where it belongs to Shylock's daughter — likely based on the biblical name Iscah, also spelled Jescha/Jischa in some translations of Shakespeare's time. |
| Origin | Scottish | Biblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage |
| Pronunciation | /ˈaɪlə/ | /ˈd͡ʒɛs.ɪ.kə/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Islay | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #4 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #141 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Isla is recorded with a Scottish origin, while Jessica is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via a Shakespearean literary coinage origin.
- Isla has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Jessica.
- Isla's recorded meaning differs from Jessica's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Isla a "high" Data Confidence level and Jessica a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Isla
Popularity journey
First recorded1979
First recorded at #467 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1979 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2008–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2023 (recorded 2008–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #4 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Jessica
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #471 among girls in Norway in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2005 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #474 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls